Bulklhead seal

Abstract

 Seal for sealing a gap between a bulkhead and a wall of a cargo hold, wherein the seal comprises a spine with two lateral webs. The webs can for example be tarps comprising magnetic parts. The spine can for example be an angled profile having to legs under right angles provided with silts along their longitudinal top edges for clamping a longitudinal edge of a lateral web. In a specific embodiment a chord can be embedded, e.g., stitched, along the longitudinal edge of the tarp, while the edge with the chord is hold in the slit in the longitudinal top edge of the legs of the spine.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a bulkhead seal for sealing the gap between a bulkhead and the inner wall of a cargo hold, e.g., of a ship.

[0002] Many cargo ships for transporting bulk cargo have a single loading area which can be divided into different sections by removable partition walls, generally referred to as bulkheads. An example of such a bulkhead system is disclosed in WO 98/51562. The removable bulkheads can for example be provided with recesses or channels in their side ends which are slid over support structures, or pontoon supports, on the wall of the cargo hold. This way, the cargo hold can be compartmented and be used for different types of bulk load or a combination of bulk cargo and other types of cargo.

[0003] In order to prevent leakage and / or cross contamination of bulk load at either side of a bulkhead, any gap between the bulkheads and the adjacent ship walls must be sealed. Hitherto, this is tried to be done by filling the gaps, e.g., with a rubber and by using self adhesive tapes, which is elaborate and often not effective.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide an effective sealing system for bulkheads which can be easily applied and removed.

[0005] The object of the invention is achieved with a seal for sealing a gap between a bulkhead and a wall of a cargo hold, wherein the seal comprises a spine with two lateral webs. This way, the seal can be positioned with the spine in the corner of the cargo hold, while the lateral webs are pressed against the bulkhead and the cargo hold wall respectively, thus sealing off any gap.

[0006] The webs can comprise magnetic parts. This way, the webs adhere to ship's wall and the bulkhead to seal off the gaps.

[0007] The spine can for example be an angled profile having two legs under right angles. The profile can for example be of steel or an extruded plastic material, or any other suitable material. Such a profile can for instance be provided with slits in the top end of the longitudinal edges of the profile legs, extending over the full length of the profile. The slits can be dimensioned in such a way that the slits can hold the webs in a clamping manner. The webs can for instance be pulled through the slits. To this end, the webs can for example be provided with one or more slings for pulling the web. The webs can be provided with one or more chords embedded, e.g., stitched along the edges of the webs. The side edge of the web with the embedded chord can be hold, e.g., pinched, within the slit in the top end of the longitudinal edge of the profile leg.

[0008] The lateral webs can for example be of a tarpaulin material. A tarpaulin or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water resistant or waterproof material, such as a cloth, canvas or woven polyethylene and/or polyester, optionally coated with plastics such as latex or PVC. Other foil type material can also be used if so desired.

[0009] The spine of the seal can be provided with an opening near one or both of its outer ends for passage of fastening means. For bulkheads having a side channel to be slid over support brackets or pontoon supports, the fastening means can for example comprise an F-bar comprising a bar having a fixed clamp head at its outer end, and a removable clamp head slideable over the bar, wherein the fixed clamp head is provided with a magnet facing the removable clamp head. This way, the F-bar without the removable clamp head can be hooked with the magnetic clamp head in the side chancel of the bulkhead. The magnet will hold the F-bar in its position, preventing it from falling down. Then the bar of the F-bar can be passed through an opening in the angle profiled spine of the seal. Subsequently, the removable clamp head can be slid over the bar and be screwed on to clamp the seal onto the bulkhead.

[0010] For sealing uneven sections, such as sections where support structures or other projections are present, a foil, such as a tarpaulin foil, can be used comprising at least one row of magnets.

[0011] In case the gap with the bulkhead includes staggered sections, such as with wing tanks, the seals terminal end can be provided with a piece of foil under right angles with both webs.

[0012] The present invention will be elucidated with reference to the figures wherein:

Figure 1:

shows a ship with the side wall partly broken away having a cargo load compartmented by bulkheads;

Figure 2:

shows in detail a seal according to the present invention attached to a bulkhead and a ship side wall;

Figure 3:

shows the seal of Figure 2 in more detail;

Figure 4:

shows an F-bar for use with the seal of Figure 2;

Figure 5:

shows an interrupted section of a seal according to the invention;

Figure 6:

shows the section of Figure 5 after sealing with a sealing foil according to the present invention;

Figure 7:

shows a seal according to the invention for sealing two stacked bulkheads;

Figure 8:

shows a seal according to the invention for a staggered section;

Figure 9:

shows a bulkhead door;

Figure 10:

shows a seal according to the invention for sealing a bulkhead door.

[0013] Figure 1 shows a cargo ship 1 for bulk cargo. In the drawing, the side wall is partly broken away to show a cargo hold 2 which is divided into a number of compartments 3 by a number of removable bulkheads 4. The compartments 3 can be used for different types of bulk cargo, for instance grain, ore, concentrates r a combination of bulk cargo and other types of cargo.

[0014] Figure 2 shows in detail the position where the bulkhead 4 meets the inner wall 5 of the cargo hold 2. Between the wall 5 and the bulkhead 4 is a gap 6, which needs to be sealed at least at one side to prevent leakage of bulk cargo. On its side facing the inner wall 5, the bulkhead 4 is provided with a channel 7, which slide over support brackets or pontoon supports projecting from the inner wall 5 (not shown).

[0015] The gap 6 is sealed with a seal 8, comprising a spine 9, formed as an angled profile having two legs 10, 11 under right angles. The seal 8 further comprises two lateral webs 12, 13 of a tarpaulin material. The webs 12, 13 are both bordered by a row of magnets 14, which are attached to the webs 12, 13 or which are for example contained in pockets or the like within the webs 12, 13.

[0016] Figure 3 shows the top side of the seal 8. Both legs 10, 11 of the angled profile spine 9 are provided at their outer ends with slits 15 extending over the full length of the spine 9. Each slit 15 firmly clamps one of the longitudinal edges of the corresponding web 12, 13. To provide a firm grip of slit 15, the edge of the web 12, 13 is provided with an embedded chord 17, which can for example be stitched within the web edge. At their outer ends, the webs 12, 13 are provided with a sling 16, which is used for pulling the webs 12, 13 through the slits 15 during assembling of the seal 8.

[0017] The seal 8 can for example be installed by using an F-bar clamp 20 as shown in more detail in Figure 4, comprising a bar 21 having a fixed clamp head 22 provided with a magnet 23 at one end and a removable securing pin 24 at the other outer end. A moveable clamp head 25, facing the magnet 23, can be moved between the securing pin 24 and the fixed clamp head 22. To install a seal 8, the F-bar tool 20 without its moveable clamp head 25 is positioned with the fixed clamp head 22 in the channel 7 in the bulkhead 4, and with the bar 21 extending through the gap 6. Due to the magnet 23, the F-bar tool 20 will maintain its position. The angled profile 9 of the seal 8 is provided with an opening 26 which can be slid over the projecting bar 21 of the F-bar tool 20. Then, the moveable clamp head 25 can be slid over the bar 21 and arranged to clamp the profile leg 10 of seal 8 onto the bulkhead 4, as is shown in Figure 2. The same can be done at the lower end of the seal 8. The magnets 14 of the webs 12, 13 adhere to the bulkhead 4 and to the inner wall 5, respectively.

[0018] At its backside, the bulkhead 4 is provided with tween deck positioners 30 close to the inner wall 5, as shown in Figure 5. The angle profiled spine 9 of the seal 8 is provided with interruptions 31 corresponding to the tween deck positioners 30. To prevent leakages of bulk cargo at these locations, the interruptions 31 and the tween deck positioners 30 are covered with a separate tarpaulin 32 (see Figure 6) provided with magnets 33.

[0019] A similar overlapping tarpaulin 34 with magnets 35 can be used if a partition of the cargo hold is formed by two stacked bulkheads 4a, 4b as shown in Figure 7. Two seals 8a, 8b are installed in line with each other . The tarpaulin webs 13a, 13b attached to the bulkheads 4a, 4b are interrupted where the bulkheads 4a, 4b are provided with tween deck positioners. The tarpaulin 34 covers these interruptions. The tarpaulin is provided with openings 26a, 26b for passage of an F-bar tool clamping the seals 8a, 8b.

[0020] Figure 8 shows how the gaps can be sealed where the surface of the internal cargo hold wall is staggered, e.g., at the location of a wing tank 36 or the like. First a seal 37 is applied over the vertical gap between the bulkhead 4 and the wing tank 36 in a similar way as described with Figure 2. This seal 37 has an angle profiled spine 38, with two lateral tarpaulin webs 39 provided with magnets 40. Then a specially formed sealing piece 41 is used to seal the gap between the bulkhead 4 and the horizontal section of the wing tank 36. Sealing piece 41 comprises a middle section 42 with a built-up similar to the seal of Figure 2. The section 42 comprises an angle profiled spine 44 with two lateral tarpaulin webs 45, 46 provided with magnets 47. One of the tarpaulin webs 45 extends in the horizontal plane while the other tarpaulin web 46 is oriented vertically. At one end of this middle section 42, the sealing piece 41 comprises a tarpaulin end section 51 under right angles with both tarpaulin webs 45, 46 of the middle section 42. At the other end of the middle section 42, the sealing piece 41 comprises a transitional end section 52 in line with the first seal 37. This transitional section 52 comprises two tarpaulin webs 53, 54 under right angles with each other, the first web 53 being in the same plane as the vertical web 46 of the middle section 41, and the second web 54 being under right angles with the horizontal web 45 of the middle section 42. Also the tarpaulin webs 53, 54 of the transitional section 52 are provided with magnets 55. Then a further seal 56 is used, similar to the seal described for Figure 2, having an angle profiled spine 57 and two lateral tarpaulin webs 58, 59. The first tarpaulin web 58 overlaps the tarpaulin end section 51 of sealing piece 41. The second tarpaulin web 59 overlaps vertical web 46 of sealing piece 41. Also these tarpaulin webs 58, 59 are provided with magnets 60.

[0021] The internal wall 5 in the cargo hold is generally provided with one or more doors 61, such as is shown in Figure 9. These doors 61 can for example be elevator doors, or ventilation doors or the like and typically show a horizontal gap 62 between their top end and the ship wall, which also needs to be sealed to prevent leakage. First, a piece of timber 63 is placed within the gap 62. Then a piece of wood, e.g., plywood 64 is nailed on the piece of timber 63. Finally a tarpaulin seal 65 is placed over the plywood 64. The tarpaulin seal 65 comprises two securing strips 66, 67 extending in the longitudinal direction of the tarpaulin seal 65. The tarpaulin seal 65 comprises magnets 68 evenly distributed along its edges. The securing strips 66, 67 of the tarpaulin seal 65 are stapled to the plywood 63. The magnets 68 attach the tarpaulin 65 to the ship wall 5 and bulkhead door 61 respectively.

Claims

1. Seal for sealing a gap between a bulkhead and a wall of a cargo hold, wherein the seal comprises a spine with two lateral webs.

2. Seal according to claim 1 wherein the webs comprise magnetic parts.

3. Seal according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the spine is an angled profile having to legs under right angles.

4. Seal according to claim 3 wherein the legs are provided with slits along their longitudinal top edges for clamping a longitudinal edge of a lateral web.

5. Seal according to claim 4 wherein a chord is embedded, e.g., stitched, along the longitudinal edge of the lateral web and wherein the edge with the chord is hold in the slit in the longitudinal top edge of the legs of the spine.

6. Seal according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lateral webs are of a tarpaulin material.

7. Seal according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the spine is provided with an opening near one or both of its outer ends for passage of fastening means.

8. Fastening means for use with a seal according to claim 7 wherein the fastening means is an F-bar comprising a bar having a fixed clamp head at its outer end, and a removable clamp head slideable over the bar, wherein the fixed clamp head is provided with a magnet facing the removable clamp head.

9. Foil comprising at least one row of magnets.

10. Foil according to claim 9 wherein the foil is a tarpaulin.

11. Use of a tarpaulin provided with one or more rows of magnets for sealing a gap between a bulkhead and a structural part of a ship, such as a ship's wall.

Drawing